How did the Robinson family get Niihau?
How did the Robinson family get Niihau? Robinson and his brother Bruce own the approximately 70-square-mile (180 km2) island of Ni?ihau in the Hawaiian island chain, which has been in the private possession of their family since their great-great-grandmother Elizabeth McHutchinson Sinclair (1800–1892) purchased it from King Kamehameha V for US$10,000 in gold ...
What happens if you visit Niihau?
No one is allowed to land on Niihau unless you are a resident of the island, a member of the Robinson family, or an invited guest. The Robinson family permits helicopter tours, but contact between the visitors and natives is not allowed. Fishermen and sailors may visit the island by sea, but are not able to land.
What families live on Niihau?
King Kamehameha IV sold it for $10,000 in 1863 to Elizabeth Sinclair of Scotland. Her descendants, the Kamaaina (meaning “Old-Timer”) Robinson family, continue to live on the island and have attempted to preserve Hawaiian culture there.
Who is the richest family in Hawaii?
- 1) Pierre Omidyar. Pierre Omidyar, the founder and chairman of eBay, lives in Honolulu and has a net worth of approximately $11.4 billion. ...
- 2) Jay Shidler. ...
- 3) Blair Parry-Okeden. ...
- 4) Steve Case. ...
- 5) Larry Ellison.
How much is Niihau worth today?
Niihau is now valued at $88 million, according to county tax records. The island's population has declined in recent decades in step with a shortage of jobs, according to the Niihau Cultural Heritage Foundation. Some residents make a living weaving prized Niihau shells into lei.
Do people in Niihau have phones?
Most of the residents of Niihau live in or around the main settlement of Pu?uwai. There are no cars, no roads, no hotels, no power lines, no running water, no telephones and typically people there use bicycles or horses to get around.
Who owns most land in Hawaii?
The Hawaii State Government. Of the approximately 4 million acres of land in Hawaii, the state government owns most of this.
Why is no one allowed on Niihau?
The Robinson family decided to restrict access of Niihau back in 1864, giving it its nickname of the “Forbidden Island.” They put a policy in place to ensure that all those born on Niihau would be able to live there for their entire life with limited exposure to the outside world.
How do you get invited to Niihau?
No one is allowed to visit Hawaii's Forbidden Isle—the 70-square-mile island, which on a clear day can be spied from Kauai's west coast—unless they are invited by Niihau owners the Robinson family, or by one of its 70 full-time Native Hawaiian residents.